Apparatus for severing fine wire



April 17, 1934. w. WILSON 1,954,970

APPARATUS FOR SEVERING FINE WIRE Filed Feb. l0. 1931 Patented Apr. 17, 19.34

PATENT OFFICEQ APPARATUS FOR SEVERING FINE WIRE Wesley Wilson, Chicago, Ill., assgnor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 10, 1931, Serial No. 514,792

Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for severing line wire, and more particularly to an apparatus for severing lielically Wound wire into predetermined lengths.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, eflicient and practical apparatus for severing Wire into predetermined lengths.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the wire which is to be severed is helically wound upon a flexible mandrel, such as a wire of greater diameter, to form a composite strand, and the strand is passed over an arbor which is rotatably mounted in close proximity to a continuously rotatable grinding wheel. The arbor has a plurality of iiat surfaces and parallel edges over which the composite strand passes so that the wire adjacent the edges of the arbor will be moved into engagement with the grinding wheel and severed into predetermined lengths, the width of the flat surfaces of the arbor determining the length of the portions of the wire which are severed.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of theapparatus, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate the same parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates a grinding wheel rotatably supported by a bracket 11 mounted upon a suitable base or support 12 and rotated in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) by any suitable power means (not shown), operatively connected thereto through a belt and pulley connection 13. The grinding wheel 10 is the means for severing a wire when moved into engagement therewith. The wire which is to be severed into predetermined lengths is illustrated at 14 in Fig. 3, and is helically wound upon a iiexible mandrel 15 with the convolutions thereof spaced equally upon the mandrel. The mandrel 15 and the wire 14 together constitute a composite strand 16 which is wound upon a supply reel 1'7 rotatably supported by a carriage 18 at one end thereof, there being rotatably mounted at the opposite end of the carriage an arbor 19 of polygonal cross-section, over which the strand is passed. After the strand is passed around the arbor 19, it is passed around an idler sheave 20 and secured to a power driven (Cl. 51-72) y takeup reel 2l. The takeup reel 21 is xed to a shaft 22, upon which is mounted a worm gear 23 which engages a Worm 24 of a shaft 25 which is operatively connected to a power means (not shown). The arbor 19 is provided with a plun 60 rality of flat surfaces forming a plurality of parallel edges, the width of the flat surfaces determining the length of the portions of the wire 14 which are severed by the grinding wheel 10 at the parallel edges of the arbor. i

Lateral and longitudinal adjustment ofthe carriage 18 may be effected by adjusting members and 31, respectively. The adjusting member 30, when actuated, causes movement of a laterally movable slide 32, upon which the carriage 18 is mounted, the slide 32 being ,slidably mounted upon a dovetailed member 33 which is carried by a longitudinally movable slide 34. Actuation of the adjusting member 31, which is in the form of a hand wheel having a scale 35 upon the periphery thereof arranged to register with a stationary pointer 36, causes longitudinal movement of the carriage 18 which moves the arbor 19 toward or away from the grinding wheel 10. The slide 34 is mounted upon a dovetailed mem- 8@ ber 37 which is xed to the support 12.

In the operation of the device, the supply reel 1'7 with al supply of the composite strand thereon is disposed in its proper position upon the carriage 18 and the strand is threaded over the arbor 19, around the idler sheave 20, and secured to the takeup reel 21. The position of the arbor 19 is then adjusted relative to the grinding wheel 10 by means of the adjusting members 30 and 31 so that the grinding wheel 10, during its rotation, may sever the wire 14, but not the mandrel 15. Power is then applied to the apparatus to cause rotation of the grinding wheel 10 and the takeup reel 2l. The arbor 19 is rotated by the tension on the strand and as each edge of the arbor is moved adjacent the grinding wheel, one or more turns of the Wire 14 will be severed, thussevering the wire into lengths equal to the widt of each of the flat surfaces ofthe arbor 19. These lengths of the wire 14 are retained upon the mandrel 15 100 and Wound upon the takeup reel 21, this operation continuing until the entire supply of wire has been removed from the supply spool 17, passed over the arbor, and wound upon the takeup reel.

This apparatus may be employed for severing any desired type of Wire helically Wound upon a mandrel; for example, tungsten Wire helically wound upon a flexible mandrel may be severed into predetermined lengths to produce coiled laments for lamps or the like. The predetermined 110 lengths into which the wire 14 is severed is assured by rst bending the strand at a point Where the wire will be severed, holding the strand in the bent condition while being moved with the arbor to the severing position and bending the strand at another point where the wire is to be severed before the wire at the rst bent position is severedA The wire is therefore not only held against the longitudinal movement relative to the mandrel, but is held in frctional engagement with the arbor to prevent movement thereof. These portions of wire or iilaments may be separated from the mandrel in any desired manner such as dissolving the mandrel by the use of certain Well known acids.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, it may be embodied in other forms, and its scope is not limited except by the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for severing wire, a continuously rotatable severing means, means for advancing the wire toward the severing means, and means actuated by the advancing of the Wire for intermittently moving a portion of the Wire into engagement with the severing means.V

2. In an apparatus for severing wire, a severing member, an arbor having projecting portions extending into close proximity to the severing member, and means for advancing a wire over said arbor for rotating said arbor to cause the projections thereof to move the Wire into engagement with said severing member.

3. In an apparatus for severing wire, a severing member, an arbor having projecting edges disposed adjacent said severing member, and means for advancing wire over said arbor for rotating said arbor to cause the edges thereof to move the Wire at predetermined intervals into engagement with said severing means.

4. In an apparatus for severing Wire, a continuously driven grinding Wheel, means for advancing a wire helically Wound upon a mandrel, and means for positioning the helically wound wire at predetermined intervals during the advancement thereof into close engagement with said grinding wheel.

5. In an apparatus for severing wire, a continuously driven severing member, an arbor of polygonal cross-section rotatably disposed adjacent said severing member, means for advancing material over said arbor, and means for adjusting the position of said arbor relative to said severing member for severing the Wire into predetermined lengths.

6. In an apparatus for severing Wire, a grinding wheel, a polygonal arbor having spaced edges, and means for advancing material over said arbor for causing the edges of said arbor to move the material into engagement with said grinding wheel for severing the material.

'7. In an apparatus for severing wire, a grind- 'ing wheel, a polygonal arbor having spaced edges movable into proximity to the grinding wheel, and means for advancing material over said arbor for causing the edges of said arbor to move the material into engagement with said grinding wheel for severing the material into predetermined lengths determined by the distance between the edges of said arbor.

3. In an apparatus for severing wire, a severing member, a polygonal arbor, means for advancing material around said arbor for rotating said arbor and intermittently moving the material into engagement With said severing member, and means for varying the position of said arbor relative to said severing member.

9. In an apparatus for severing mandrel wound lament wire into predetermined lengths, means for bending the mandrel at intervals, and means for severing the lament wire at the bends without severing the mandrel.

10. In an apparatus for severing mandrel wound iilament Wire into predetermined lengths, means for moving the mandrel endwise and for bending it at intervals, and means for severing the nlament wire at each of the bends during the movement of the mandreland without severing the mandrel.

WESLEY WILSON. 

